A superb image of the unique Spoon-billed Sandpiper taken by Michael
McKee.

Where to watch birds and wildlife in

HONG KONG

Arguably the best shorebird show on Earth

Involving about 10,000 birds of over 30 species, which pass through during the spring, virtually all in full summer
plumage, and which are often visible at close range from several hides

Possibly including Spoon-billed Sandpiper, as well as Asian Dowitcher, Nordmann’s Greenshank and Great Knot

Also present around Deep Bay and elsewhere are some of Asia’s and the world’s other most spectacular birds including Blue
Magpie, Black-capped Kingfisher, Fork-tailed Sunbird and, possibly, Great Spotted, Imperial and White-bellied Sea Eagles

As well as some of Asia’s and the world’s most spectacular localized birds including Black-faced Spoonbill, Saunders’s
Gull and, possibly, Chinese Egret

Plus ‘pink’ Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins

Central Hong Kong, one side of a steep island covered with skyscrapers, may seem like a set from a science fiction film,
what looks like a future Earth where all wildlife is extinct, but just forty minutes away by road in and around Deep Bay there is something else
that looks like science fiction – the Siberian shorebird express, which passes during the spring, and, on a good day in April, is arguably the
most spectacular shorebird show on the Earth of today. The sheer variety and concentration of species, most of which are in their glorious
breeding summer plumage, is staggering, and among the thousands of birds, of 30 species or so, there might just be a few rarities such as Asian
Dowitchers, Nordmann’s Greenshanks and even a Spoon-billed Sandpiper or two, one of the quirkiest and rarest shorebirds on this planet. It has a
spoon-shaped beak, unique amongst the numerous shorebirds, which it uses to sweep from side to side through water and mud in search of crustaceans,
and is so rare the world population is estimated at just 120-200 pairs. Hides in Mai Po Nature Reserve at the edge of the mangroves around Deep
Bay offer the chance to see the shorebird show from the front row, right next to the stage, on which the star occasionally appears, usually close
enough to clearly see its amazing beak.

Obtaining permits to visit Mai Po is a bureaucratic nightmare so going on an organised tour can save a lot of hassle.
Otherwise visit World Wildlife Fund Hong Kong.

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is so rare that there is a special ‘Saving Spoony’ campaign run by several organisations
including BirdLife International. It is certainly rarer in Hong Kong
than it used to be and by no means should visitors expect to see one.

China is a huge country, the third largest in the world, with a birdlist of over 1400, and there are several other great birding
destinations. Also in southeastern China it is possible to see Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Nov-Mar, mostly November and March), Chinese Crested
Tern (mostly mid-May to August) and White-faced (Swinhoe's) Plover (Apr-May at least) on the Minjiang Estuary near Fuzhou,
White-eared Night Heron at Jiulianshan and Cabot’s Tragopan at Wuyishan; the rare Black-crested and
Hoolock Gibbons, as well as Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey and Phayre’s Leaf Monkey occur in Yunnan, the most
bird-rich province in China; there are many spectacular birds in Sichuan, a province best visited in May
and sometimes combined with neighbouring Tibet where it is possible to see several rare mammals and birds,
notably Tibetan Wild Ass and Tibetan Sandgrouse, especially in June and July; in Central China there is
a good chance of seeing Golden Snub-nosed Monkey and birds such as Crested Ibis; during the northern winter Hooded, Siberian and White-naped Cranes,
as well as Oriental Stork, occur at Poyang Hu, a huge inland lake in Eastern
China, with the rare Scaly-sided Merganser on the nearby Xin River; falls of passage migrant birds can be spectacular in Hong Kong but they are
nothing compared to those which occur at Beidaihe and Happy Island on the northeast coast a few hours from Beijing, where in
spring (mostly in May) and autumn (mostly in September) there are, at times, numerous birds; finally, if arriving in China or departing China via
Beijing it may be worth visiting the nearby Bai He River for a chance of Ibisbill.

Best Times for Birds and other wildlife in Hong Kong

The peak time for shorebirds, including Spoon-billed Sandpiper, is April and the best views can usually be obtained during the periods of highest
spring tides. Timing at Mai Po is crucial. Out on the mud flats shorebirds may be little more than distant specks at low tide but during the best
spring high tides they can be incredibly close. See Tide Predictions. The
weather in April is usually warm, humid and showery with temperatures ranging between 20°C and 24°C.

Don’t know which country/countries/regions to visit in Asia? Then it may be worth considering taking a look at this
book, written by this website’s author. It is many years old of course but it still provides a starting point, an overview and a guiding light
to the best birds and the best places to look for them in the region, and could save hours of searching for similar information on the internet.
However, it is important to check more up-to-date sources for sites which have been opened up, sites and species which have been discovered,
lodges that have been built etc. since the book was published.

Birding and Wildlife Trip Reports for Hong Kong

Many trip reports, some for Hong Kong, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of these
websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize tours to
Hong Kong. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their websites,
which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to Hong Kong' below.

Local bird and wildlife guides in Hong Kong/China

The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders.
Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are
the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional
skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently,
employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the
wildlife you wish to see.

Accommodation for birders in Hong Kong

Some Organized Tours for birds and other wildlife to Hong Kong

There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other
wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably
according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours
last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an
important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals
and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and
transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where
the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the
cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local
transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and
that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those
which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously
lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit.
Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are
certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are
the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional
skills of the local guides they employ.

While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom
tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set
itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes,
whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made
attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are
also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds
or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best
sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the
pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit
people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of
strangers, and people with partners with different interests. Individuals and small
groups will almost certainly have to pay more than the price of an organized tour with
a set itinerary but a large group of friends may be able to travel for less than the
price quoted for a set tour.

Tour companies who may arrange custom tours to Hong Kong include the following.